3DS hits Japan on February 26 for $300, comes to US in March

Nintendo has confirmed the Japanese and US release date for the 3DS, as well …

Nintendo released a metric ton of official details on the 3DS at a press conference in Tokyo last night, including the Japanese release date (February 26, 2011) and price of ¥25,000 (about $300). The North American release date isn't as exact: we'll see the system in March of next year. The final version of the hardware was also shown, although the only difference from the systems we used at E3 seems to be the color of the analog nub.

A few other fun surprises were announced; let's check 'em out.

Software is finally portable

"A hardware fact sheet (PDF) notes that it is possible to move downloaded software from one 3DS to a newly-purchased 3DS (at least, if our translation is accurate)," Joystiq wrote. "In addition, it is possible to move downloaded DSiWare from a DSi or DSi XL."

This is excellent news, and something we put on our list of things that would help make the 3DS a good deal for gamers. Some software may not be able to make the jump from system to system, and the number of times you can move your games may be limited, but this is still good news.

The system will come with a charging stand, a stylus, a 2GB SD card for storage, and cards that, when viewed through the front-facing camera, become augmented reality images. A promotional video released by Nintendo shows off some of the new software features, such as wireless communication between systems and the ability to create Miis by taking pictures of yourself.

The Nintendo 3DS

"3DS will also perform some neat new tricks. It has backlit face buttons—one of which is the Home button," Joystiq reports. "When pressed, it will bring up an in-game menu enabling users to browse the web, turn WiFi on/off and modify other settings without exiting."

Nintendo also released footage from upcoming 3DS titles. Take a look:

The Nintendo 3DS games

Hopefully, we'll get an official release date and price from Nintendo of America soon, but the price should be in line with Japan's. That seems a little on the expensive side for a Nintendo system, but the 3DS is packing some impressive hardware, and we don't know the price Nintendo is paying for those 3D screens.

Having played the 3DS extensively at E3, the hardware is worth the price, and the games already look great. Still, the $300 price tag is going to be a bitter pill to swallow for gamers given this rough economy. We'll post more details as they come in.

The game lineup looks great, but prices being equal, I think I'd buy another home console than this. It's rare for nintendo to price things too high for the market, but this seems way too expensive for a portable system.

I wouldn't assume the price is going to be $300 in the US based on the Japanese price. Odds are it'll be lower based on the previous DS launches, but I'll wait for an actual price before passing judgment.

Also, GBATemp mentioned a Virtual Console for Gameboy and Gameboy Advance games. I'm surprised the Ars article didn't mention this. I didn't watch the videos, though, so it could have been mentioned there. (I'm at work, and we block YouTube.)

I wouldn't assume the price is going to be $300 in the US based on the Japanese price. Odds are it'll be lower based on the previous DS launches, but I'll wait for an actual price before passing judgment.

This is true, but I wouldn't expect it to be much lower than $250 or so. I'm guessing Nintendo wants to get this out there and build the software library while the DS is still hot. It took a couple years for the DS to really take off didn't it?

While it's probably not the comparison Nintendo wants to make, if a dedicated gaming 3DS costs $299, a multifunction iPod Touch which also does gaming starts at $229. Obviously they aren't fully comparable on gaming functionality, performance, or usability, but it'll be interesting to see what consumers make of the price difference and the broader functionality of the iPod Touch in comparison to the 3DS.

Looks like the system has a good lineup of games (Sadly enough, to me, the ports of MGS: Snake Eater & Legend of Zelda: OOT look the most appealing, but Nintendo always supports their handhelds well, so I expect a good library). I also like that they added an analog nub, which might open up control options. Hopefully it feels and works better than the PSP control nub.

The $300 price point makes me a bit wary, but I think that if that is the actual US Price at Launch, I may wait for a price drop. Unlike Sony & Microsoft, Nintendo always sets their price points for their consoles to make a profit on them, so I'm guessing they've priced it so if the 3DS doesn't sell to expectations, then they may be able to make a price cut not too long after launch to boost sales.

While it's probably not the comparison Nintendo wants to make, if a dedicated gaming 3DS costs $299, a multifunction iPod Touch which also does gaming starts at $229. Obviously they aren't fully comparable on gaming functionality, performance, or usability, but it'll be interesting to see what consumers make of the price difference and the broader functionality of the iPod Touch in comparison to the 3DS.

I think that is a very valid question to raise. It will become more valid this fall when an increasing number of smartphones are shipping with dual core ARM and Tegra 2 chipsets. This is to say nothing of Apple's increased focus on gaming as an iPhone sales driver.

More than anything though, that is simply a ridiculously high price point. I could buy a brand new PS3 or XBox 360 with money to spare. I could buy a nettop HTPC.

Maybe when I see the 3DS in person my opinion will be swayed but that better be one damn good 3D effect because at the end of the day, the 3DS is a portable console with a tiny screen, limited functionality and a huge price tag. I hate to think what Nintendo wants to charge for the games.

Since the advent of the iPhone, I simply cannot justify yet another mobile device that only does one thing. Granted, it does that one very well, but the iPhone is ALWAYS with me and has more than enough games to keep me busy on the go. I will most likely not even buy a dedicated gaming handheld again.

I concur with everyone else, 300 dollars if that is close to the final price is a lot, so is 250. I will still get one because I am an unabashed Nintendo whore, but christ man. Hopefully the VC for the 3DS doesn't die as quickly as the Wiis VC. If the 3DS is as powerful as everyone says, I see no reason for why the entire VC on the Wii could not just be made accessible to the 3DS. I would glady buy a 6th copy of SMW for my gaming library.

At this point, I can't see how Windows Phone 7 won't clobber this thing. It all depends on the game libraries and feature functionality, but the new OS with the required hardware specs has me looking at dumping my PS3 and Wii for XBOX360 and Windows Phone 7. 300.00s for a handheld simply won't fly. Anything over 199.95 is just too much for something like this, imho. Naturally, if you want the 3D, you'll have to have this device as no other has it, but that's about the only compelling feature left. All we need now is someone to make a SNES/NES/Gameboy emulator in XNA.

$300 is not that expensive but I will wait until there is a strong library.

I hope there will be 2D only game on it, so developer can make use of the improved hardware without trying to mess around 3D display even when they are not capable to.

It's only expensive if another company released a handheld at $300.

Na, it's only expensive if people don't buy it.

If the hardware is $299, I see a couple of "value" packs coming out by next christmas, either bundling the hardware with a game or having unofficial sales on Amazon and other sites. Because as we all know, $300 is rediculous, but if you see a sale on the hardware for the amazing price of $239.00, you'd jump on it in a second.

Im no Apple fan, but the 8gb Ipod touch offers alot more at $225 than the 3ds does at $300 (video calling,webbrowsing,2 cameras,960x640 lcd, HD video shooting and editing) and even though it wont have the hardcore games/AAA titles the 3DS will it does everything else so much better that people may be willing to forgive it in that one little area. the 3DS should have been $199 no more.

To everybody who is bummed about the price, remember the great Wii shortages when that first came out. That's a sign of being under priced. If you compare eBay prices to retail during the shortage, under priced by about $500. Obviously jacking up the price AFTER you've already announced the MSRP to take advantage of the high demand is PR suicide. I think Nintendo just learned their lesson from that and are announcing the system over priced from the start to stave off early shortages and charge a premium when demand is highest. As soon as sales slow down they'll drop the price. I expect 3DS to be selling for closer to $200 by holiday time next year. And that's about how long it takes before any good third party titles are available anyway.

and even though it wont have the hardcore games/AAA titles the 3DS will it does everything else so much better that people may be willing to forgive it in that one little area.

Let's be serious. That "one little area" is the reason people are buying it in the first place. People interested in games won't consider an iPod as a substitute to the 3DS unless it offers superior games, and that's not the case right now based on what's available and scheduled.

I concur with everyone else, 300 dollars if that is close to the final price is a lot, so is 250. I will still get one because I am an unabashed Nintendo whore, but christ man. Hopefully the VC for the 3DS doesn't die as quickly as the Wiis VC. If the 3DS is as powerful as everyone says, I see no reason for why the entire VC on the Wii could not just be made accessible to the 3DS. I would glady buy a 6th copy of SMW for my gaming library.

Nintendo needs to have a profiel account like PS3/Steam/360/etc... Not having your VC library associated to an account means you can lose that stuff anytime you sell a Wii for a "newer color" or whatever people do. I quit buying them because of this reason.

I find it odd that people are mentioning the iPod Touch as an example of a device that offers so much more value than the 3DS. What does the iPod do for you if you're already carrying around a smartphone?

Hahahahaha $300? Nope not for me. I was really looking forward to the 3DS but with that price I will have to skip maybe if it comes down from that lofty price. A dedicated portable game console for $300? The end of the world is nigh....Wonder how Sony ll react to this? I bet Sony ll be happy...they ll be able to charge the same or even price the PSP2 higher(while telling us to work harder)

and even though it wont have the hardcore games/AAA titles the 3DS will it does everything else so much better that people may be willing to forgive it in that one little area.

Let's be serious. That "one little area" is the reason people are buying it in the first place. People interested in games won't consider an iPod as a substitute to the 3DS unless it offers superior games, and that's not the case right now based on what's available and scheduled.

The broader point i was trying to make was how is it possible Apple can offer all of that at $225, lets face it if the ipod touch with its 200MHz PowerVR SGX can surely keep up with the 3ds GPU (133MHz DMP PICA220) so the graphics capabilities are similar its only missing dedicated controls. And Nintendos got none of that extra multimedia functionality, just its good games/franchises and this 3d gimmick (and it is a gimmick since they included a feature to turn it off completely) and the thing is encased in plastic not chrome and glass and they want $300 for it and think theyre gonna move units? i never thought id see the day when Apple offered a better value than Nintendo.

I find it odd that people are mentioning the iPod Touch as an example of a device that offers so much more value than the 3DS. What does the iPod do for you if you're already carrying around a smartphone?

and what if you dont have a smartphone? not everyone does. i dont. and the comparison is fair because they are both competing for the same demographic,within a similar price bracket. And with all the recent inroads Apple has been making into the handheld space,i would have thought Nintendo would put more of an emphasis on multimedia/web browsing functionality and not just a gaming device,a $300 one to boot.

I wouldn't assume the price is going to be $300 in the US based on the Japanese price. Odds are it'll be lower based on the previous DS launches, but I'll wait for an actual price before passing judgment.

I'd expect $250. The Yen is really strong against the dollar right now, so I expect they will acknowledge that in the pricing.

I think Nintendo is trying to avoid leaving a ton of money on the table like happened last time with the Wii. Those things were priced way lower than demand was suggesting, and Nintendo ended up making a lot less than they could have. The 3DS will probably have very limited availability early on, so they're premium pricing it. I doubt it will sell very well at that price point, but I don't think they're going to have many units to sell in North America so it won't matter.

At this point, I can't see how Windows Phone 7 won't clobber this thing. It all depends on the game libraries and feature functionality, but the new OS with the required hardware specs has me looking at dumping my PS3 and Wii for XBOX360 and Windows Phone 7. 300.00s for a handheld simply won't fly. Anything over 199.95 is just too much for something like this, imho. Naturally, if you want the 3D, you'll have to have this device as no other has it, but that's about the only compelling feature left. All we need now is someone to make a SNES/NES/Gameboy emulator in XNA.

Let's say a new Windows Phone 7 will be in the neighborhood of $199 up front after a $100 mail-in rebate that may or may not arrive the same year you purchase the phone. Let's also say that a voice and data plan for your Windows Phone 7 will cost roughly 80 to 100 dollars a month. Yes, it will have games and Facebook and Twitter and the mobile web. It may even have a keyboard!

However, let's not assume that all the parents who use the 3DS as a babysitter will likely purchase a Windows 7 Phone for their 7 year old. Will some people buy a Windows Phone 7 when it arrives in 2011? Sure, why not!

But will there be more than 100 people who are sitting at home with 2 tabs open on their browser, switching indecisively between "The ~$200 Windows 7 Phone On Their Mobile Carrier of Choice" and "The Nintendo 3DS Site at Amazon?"

I think Nintendo is trying to avoid leaving a ton of money on the table like happened last time with the Wii. Those things were priced way lower than demand was suggesting, and Nintendo ended up making a lot less than they could have. The 3DS will probably have very limited availability early on, so they're premium pricing it. I doubt it will sell very well at that price point, but I don't think they're going to have many units to sell in North America so it won't matter.

Yeah, $300 is way too much for me to even consider. At $200, the DSi was almost in impulse buy for me (knowing I'd likely soon sell it).

With the USD being so weak compared to the Yen right now, it's not likely we'll see many new products that are terribly affordable come out of Japan for a little while. If this was 2007, the 3DS might have ended up being $199.

Just to put things into perspective: when the PSP launched in Japan it cost 26,000yen for the most common Value Pack which includes a carry pouch, 32M memory stick, and a remote headphone, there was the 20,500yen normal pack which doesn't include the extras, but you literally can't buy it because they were so few of these particular SKU (obviously Sony didn't want people to buy it probably because it gives them the least profit margin). Sony had no problems selling either SKU at launch if you all recall history.

In comparison I would say the 3DS is not overpriced in Japan @ 25,000yen since they are no longer aiming at the pre-teen crowd which was the case of most of their previous handhelds. There are enough new tech in it to justify the pricetag even to the layman. It only seems expensive because of the extra strong yen which when converted to US dollars makes it look expensive to your American eyes.

The broader point i was trying to make was how is it possible Apple can offer all of that at $225, lets face it if the ipod touch with its 200MHz PowerVR SGX can surely keep up with the 3ds GPU (133MHz DMP PICA220) so the graphics capabilities are similar its only missing dedicated controls. And Nintendos got none of that extra multimedia functionality, just its good games/franchises and this 3d gimmick (and it is a gimmick since they included a feature to turn it off completely) and the thing is encased in plastic not chrome and glass and they want $300 for it and think theyre gonna move units? i never thought id see the day when Apple offered a better value than Nintendo.

If one isn't interested in games, multimedia functionality adds value, a lack of dedicated controls aren't a problem, 3D screens are a gimmick and good games/franchises don't matter. In that case, Apple offers a better value.

If one is interested in games, multimedia functionality doesn't add value, dedicated controls add value, a 3D screens add lots of value and good games/franchises matter a great deal. In that case, Nintendo offers a better value - even at $300.

Looking at the Mhz, GB, or shell design alone is missing the point of each device when determining how much it's worth - or how much it'll sell. As for the 3DS, I expect it'll move plenty of units for a very long time.